Fansided

2017 NBA Mock Draft: Fultz to Celtics, Ball to Lakers after lottery

By Chris Stone

Jan 18, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dunks against Colorado Buffaloes forward Tory Miller (14) during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Colorado Buffaloes guard Dominique Collier (15) watches the play at left. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dunks against Colorado Buffaloes forward Tory Miller (14) during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Colorado Buffaloes guard Dominique Collier (15) watches the play at left. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
15 of 30
Next
Feb 9, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward TJ Leaf (22) dunks the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. The UCLA Bruins won 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward TJ Leaf (22) dunks the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. The UCLA Bruins won 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.

" >
15

Jarrett Allen

C, Texas

Draft status: In with an agent

This is the first of three first round selections for the Portland Trail Blazers and while Jusuf Nurkic is the current solution at center, drafting them some backup makes plenty of sense. Texas center Jarrett Allen is the best big man prospect on the board, so he’s the pick here.

Allen is a former five-star recruit who put together a solid season for the Longhorns as a freshman, but has room to grow because of his physical size. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, he has excellent potential as a rim protector despite averaging just 1.9 blocks per 40 minutes this season. Some of that could have been his situation, though, as he regularly played next to a second big man in the frontcourt. Allen also has enough lateral mobility to offer some variety in pick-and-roll coverage.

Offensively, Allen is still developing his style and scored most of his points on putbacks or dump offs this season. He should be able to develop into a solid pick-and-roll dive man in time and could develop a bit more of a shooting touch in time. Allen’s offense will play second fiddle to his defense long-term.

Learn more about Jarrett Allen at The Step Back.